Man charged with setting fire, poisoning dog and slitting its throat

A Stanton man will be arraigned Wednesday on charges of trying to burn down his home and killing his dog by poisoning it and slitting its throat.

Jaime Arturo Garcia, 30, is accused of closing all the doors and windows of the home he shared with his sister July 24 and setting several small fires inside by lighting piles of clothing on fire.

The fires caused damage to cabinets in the laundry room but did not spread throughout the house, police said. His sister was not at home at the time.

After the fires burned out, Garcia allegedly poisoned his 7-year-old dog, Dexter, a dachshund mix, by feeding him various pills and then used a large kitchen knife to cut its throat, authorities say.